he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,
Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.
treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively.
But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction,
Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.
These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.
For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error.
desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.
And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
Do all things without grumbling or disputing,
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will.
For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.
For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part,
If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.
Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.
for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?
As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these things.”
You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.
Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.
Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.
One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.